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The Scottish Government is commissioning an evaluation of the pilot approach to early learning and childcare (ELC) access for children who defer Primary 1. We anticipate that full evaluation findings covering year 1 and 2 pilots will be published in spring 2023, with interim results used to inform the implementation process. In addition, a Deferral Working Group has been established, to identify and share best practice and collect useful feedback throughout the pilot process. Membership of the working group includes all pilot authorities and representatives from all Regional Improvement Collaboratives, to ensure that non-pilot authorities will be included in those conversations. Meeting papers are published on the Scottish Government website.

Court operational matters, including the system for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

In November 2019, SCTS announced new services for jurors with a visual impairment or who are hard of hearing as recommended in Lord Matthews 2018 “Enabling Jury Service” report.

These adjustments and measures widened the accessibility for as many people as possible to serve on include:

• easy-to use hearing loop units and magnifiers for use in the courtroom and jury deliberations;
• dedicated and trained Jury Liaison Officers, who can be contacted by persons with a visual impairment or who are hard of hearing in advance of attending court as a juror. This will allow the needs of the individual to be explored and any suitable adjustments to be considered and implemented, where possible; and
• an information sheet in various formats – including a video with British Sign Language and subtitles aimed at encouraging early contact between the person cited for jury service and the Jury Liaison Officer for that court.

In developing these services, SCTS worked closely with deafscotland and the Royal National Institute of Blind People, who contributed to the training of Jury Liaison Officers.

There is, of course, more to do to support greater accessibility for jurors and SCTS have provided assurances that they will consider further initiatives as opportunities arise during the business planning process.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Scotland are able to receive the best possible care and support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the patient at the centre of their care.

Since 2015, the Scottish Government has provided £2.4 million annually to improve specialist nursing services. NHS Boards make the decision on where to prioritise this funding based on local need. NHS Boards are expected to ensure that patients, including those who require MS services, have access to a range of professionals to provide the appropriate management of their condition.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to create a lead MS nurse post, but is willing to consider and discuss any proposals received.

We are considering a range of options on how to take the steel sector forward in light of our net zero ambitions, including electric arc furnaces. These are large-scale ambitions that need large-scale solutions and will require significant private sector investment, and the Scottish Government is discussing these potential opportunities with industry partners.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the report by the Survivor Reference Group and will consider the findings from this. It is vital that survivors of rape, sexual violence, and abuse are listened to and believed by the police and we are determined to improve the justice system to respond better to the needs of survivors of rape and sexual assault in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the key role that advocacy services play in helping victims come forward and engage with the justice process, like those provided by Rape Crisis Scotland, which is why we fully fund the RCS National Advocacy Project.

A single police force has transformed the way rape and other sexual crimes are investigated in Scotland allowing far greater consistency of approach, including the training of police officers and use of specialist officers.

The following table summarises the number of Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) applications received, applying specifically Improving Public Access (IPA), and of those how many were (a) were approved and (b) are awaiting a decision, in each year since 2015. The figures below exclude those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.

Please note that the 2020 round did not include the IPA option and that the 2019 round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer. Improving Public Access is not a Management Option, it is capital only, and as such was not included in the round.

The 2021 round that closed at the beginning of July 2021 was also extended. These applications are still being assessed.

1Excludes those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.

* Application type not included in Round

The following table summarises the number of Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) applications received, applying specifically for Slurry Storage and of those how many were (a) were approved and (b) are awaiting a decision, in each year since 2015. The figures below exclude those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.

Please note that the 2015 round did not include a Slurry Store option and that the 2020 round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer. Slurry Store is not a Management Option, it is capital only, and as such was not included in the round.

The 2021 round that closed at the beginning of July 2021 was also extended. These applications are still being assessed.

1Excludes those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.

* Application type not included in Round.

Section 24 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 places an obligation on conservation bodies to review every five years Schedules 5 and 8 and advise Scottish Ministers whether, in their opinion: (a) any animal should be added to, or removed from, Schedule 5; (b) any plant should be added to, or removed from, Schedule 8.

Revised criteria for the review process were agreed by the Chief Scientist Group representing the three statutory nature conservation organisations, including NatureScot. It is not for the Scottish Government to approve the method by which the review mentioned above is undertaken.

The preservation of a crime scene is for the purposes of protecting the integrity of forensic evidence. A decision to allow a priest to enter an area designated as a crime scene is therefore an operational matter for Police Scotland.

My predecessor chaired the Scottish Steel Sector Round Table (SSRT) on a biannual basis. The SSRT completed the work on a report into the state of the steel sector in Scotland at its last meeting on 2 November 2020.

The main concern for the steel industry continues to be energy prices, especially in the light of recent price rises, and the impact this has on wider developments in the industry. Energy is a matter reserved to the UK Government, which earlier this year revived the UK Steel Council. I am a member of this Council and continue to press for progress on matters key to the success of the steel sector in Scotland.